Princess master 4, p.1
Princess Master 4, page 1
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Chapter 1
After several days at sea, Jessamine, Cienna, Ariana, and I finally disembarked from the Lady Starlight, and I looked around our new environment with a sense of trepidation. As we’d traveled closer to Rachel’s kingdom, the air had gotten colder and the wind had picked up significantly, and I’d even thought I’d seen flurries in the air at one point.
The last time we’d been on land, we’d been in Cienna’s kingdom, which was full of blooming flowers, bright green trees, and warm, spring sunshine, but there were no signs of spring here. We were in a new kingdom with the hopes of finding Princess Rachel and getting more information about the troubles in this land, but while the ship had found a safe place to drop anchor, our current location didn’t appear to be close to civilization of any kind.
When we’d prepared to leave the ship, we’d filled large packs with food including hard biscuits and dried meats, and we’d also included other supplies ranging from my plumber’s tools to the magic carpet. I just hoped what we’d brought would be enough to sustain us in the chilly weather. I was incredibly happy to have gotten my old, familiar work boots back on my feet, but we were definitely going to need to find some warmer clothes as soon as we could.
My wives and I now stood on a tiny, rocky beach and stared into what appeared to be a deep, dark forest of pine trees. This was the first time we’d been on land in a while. We’d spent a long time in Ariana’s undersea kingdom and then sailed on the Lady Starlight for a couple days, and I wished we’d ended up someplace a little more inviting.
“Holy shit, it’s windy,” I said to my wives as a freezing cold gust blew harshly against our faces and whipped through our hair. “But at least we’re not down in the ocean anymore, where it had to have been at least this cold. I’m really grateful to be on land again!”
“So, how do you think we find Rachel?” Cienna gasped as she pushed her long, golden locks back from her face. Her azure eyes were wide with worry, and she gripped my arm tightly and shivered.
“There has to be a way,” Ariana said with her red eyebrows furrowed. “It feels so strange for me to be on land, so I might need a couple minutes to clear my head.”
“That’s understandable,” I told my mermaid wife as I put an arm around her. “I’m sure if we head through the woods, we’ll eventually find something.”
“Do you see a trail?” Jessamine asked in a doubtful tone. “I just see really thick trees with no breaks.”
“Don’t worry, I can slash through anything with Genie’s Wrath,” I reminded my wives. “And you all can use your swords, too. Remember the haunted forest when we were trying to find Jamar? At least we don’t see any zombies yet.”
My giant, golden sword with the purple stone had many uses, and I’d cut down foliage with it in the past. Jessamine still carried her long, curved scimitars on her belt, too, and Cienna wore a longsword, which was her favorite weapon. My black-haired wife had even transformed Ariana’s signature trident into a large dagger for the time being.
“Don’t curse us, Joe,” Cienna said with a shiver, but I wasn’t sure if she was shaking at the thought of zombies, from the wind, or both.
“Sorry, I’m definitely not trying to wish evil upon us,” I responded, and as a chill ran through my bones, I looked down in doubt at the delicate slippers the princesses wore on their feet. “I suppose we should get going soon, but I’m afraid the three of you need better shoes. Jessamine, could you make something more rugged?”
“I think I can, but something feels strange about my magic right now,” my dark-haired wife explained as she pursed her lips. “I still have the magic carpet transformed, of course, but the burden of holding spells feels a little… heavier to bear. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but I’m feeling a little weaker than usual.”
“I wasn’t sure whether to say anything, but I feel the same way,” Cienna admitted before she turned to our mermaid wife. “How are you doing, Ariana?”
“Nothing feels easy at the moment,” the redhead answered with a grimace, and she bounced a little on her toes. “This feels strange for me after not being on land in such a long time. Not to mention, I’ve always been… sunnier… places.”
“Hey, we can handle it,” I reassured them, and I pulled them all in for a group hug. “I’ve been backpacking in the mountains plenty of times, and I even liked it! This can’t be too much worse than that.”
“Okayyy, although I’m not sure what backpacking is,” Cienna said, but then she reached up and ruffled my hair. “Joe, you’re being so positive right now. Thanks for keeping us going.”
“No problem!” I grinned, and then I turned to Jessamine. “So, do you want to try making boots? And then we can get on our way?”
“Sure, I can do this,” Jessamine responded as she lifted her chin. “At least for the time being. I just hope we can buy more supplies as soon as possible.”
While we’d been on the ship, we’d grabbed plenty of coins and jewels from Cienna’s stash, which was definitely a nice thing about traveling with princesses, and as Jessamine concentrated on her sister-wives’ feet, I took a moment to look at my women and think about how lucky I was. They’d all pulled their long, flowing hair up into buns on top of their heads to keep the wind from pushing the locks back into their faces, and I admired their long, swan-like necks and elegant profiles.
“Will these work?” Jessamine asked, and she looked up with a smile.
I blinked out of my thoughts and glanced down at my wives’ feet, and I saw the raven-haired beauty had managed to transform the princesses’ slippers into short, leather, fur-lined boots.
“These are so much better,” Cienna sighed, and she reached out and squeezed her sister-wife’s arm. “I’m happy to be wearing a cloak, although it’s probably too much to ask right now for you to do something about these flimsy dresses…”
“I think it might be,” my black-haired wife replied in an apologetic tone.
As the wind roared around us, I felt sorry for the princesses in their warm-weather clothing. Their dresses in their signature colors of pale blue, turquoise, and pastel pink were gauzy, and they were better suited for a sunny day than a windy beach. Although they each wore a warm cloak over their shoulders, I could see the intense breeze whipping their clothes around.
“It’s okay!” I said as I tried to be reassuring. “I’m sure we’ll find a town soon. Now that you have your shoes on, do you want to start heading into the forest?”
“Yes, definitely.” Ariana nodded. “These boots are comfortable. I’ve never worn anything quite like this before. I’m used to being barefoot when I’m in my human form, or at least having lighter shoes!”
Although the mermaid princess had spent some time up on land before we’d gotten married, I knew this was a lot different than what she’d experienced in the past. I wasn’t sure what we were in for, but standing around on the beach wasn’t going to get us anywhere.
So, after I took one last look at the choppy, gray-green sea slamming against huge rocks, I began my walk toward the edge of the forest with my wives following behind me. We’d arranged for the ship to stay anchored in its current location, and I hoped we could get back to its relative comfort soon.
I scanned the trees for anything resembling a break, and I picked a spot where the brush appeared at least a little thinner.
“Here we go,” I murmured as I pulled Genie’s Wrath from its sheath.
As I began to slash through the shrubs with my sword, I realized a path of sorts opened up just a few feet in front of us. The ground was littered with pine needles from the trees that stretched up into the dark gray sky, but the smell was vaguely unpleasant in the woods and reminded me of rotting produce. There were also small bushes with deep red, poisonous-looking berries that actually appeared to be flowering near the bases of the trees, but I noticed their heart-shaped leaves appeared to have some sort of blight on them. Some of the leaves were covered in pale brown spots, others were totally black and rotten, and I was left with an uneasy feeling.
Yeah… this place was super creepy.
“Why does it feel even colder now off the beach?” Cienna asked as we moved further into the forest, and I realized she was right. The wind that had whipped across our bodies when we were closer to the sea seemed to be even stronger now, and a faint, eerie wailing noise seemed to be carried on the strong breeze.
“I don’t know how to explain this phenomenon,” Ariana sighed. “I wish my science from under the sea could help us more now, but I think I’m just going to have to learn as I go along.”
“Normally, trees slow the wind,” I explained. “But it feels even more harsh now. And that howling…”
“It’s sooo loud,” Jessamine murmured, and I looked back and saw all the princesses were frowning and inching closer together.
“L-Let’s keep pushing forward,” Cienna said in a determined tone despite her shivering. “The sooner we’re out of this strange forest, the better.”
“Do those flowers look magic to you?” Ariana asked as she pointed at a bush of what looked like black peonies. “From my knowledge of the surface world, it’s my understanding flowers are usually brighter colors, and I just feel something strange… radiating off them. I’m not sure how to explain it.”
“Not to mention, my magic fee ls even weaker inside these woods,” Jessamine admitted and wrapped her slender arms around herself. “It’s as if there’s something dark holding me back from my spells. I don’t like it here at all.”
“I can feel it, too,” Cienna replied as she glanced around at the tall and ominous trees. “I haven’t tried to cast a spell yet, but it’s as if there’s a weight bearing down on me.”
“I wonder about Genie’s Wrath,” I mused, and I hefted my sword up and aimed it at a nearby tree. Immediately, I understood what my wives meant, because while I usually felt strong vibrations when I held the hilt of the blade and concentrated my energy on its purple stone, the sensations were weaker than normal, and I didn’t see the typical violet flash in front of my eyes. I managed to shoot a faint shower of sparks into the tree I was focused on, but I didn’t have a great feeling about the sword’s magic capabilities right now. “Guess if anything tries to attack us, I’m just going to have to cut it down.”
I made a stabbing motion in the air and looked at my wives, who flashed me weak smiles. Then I put the sword back on my belt and hoped I wouldn’t need it anytime soon.
“Speaking of being attacked, what the hell is that?” Cienna pointed off into the distance, and I suddenly saw glowing yellow eyes staring at us out of a furry face.
The animal was about fifty feet away from us, and it appeared to be frozen in place. I thought I recognized it as a lynx, although it was at least four feet tall at the shoulder. The animal also had spotted, reddish-brown fur, but then I noticed something strange on its head.
The large cat appeared to have antlers.
Bloody antlers.
Strings of red flesh hung off the protrusions in tatters like the animal was shedding, and my stomach roiled at the sight.
“What the fuck?” I said in a quiet tone. I didn’t want to startle the beast, but it was one of the most horrifying things I’d ever seen. Something about the juxtaposition of the bony appendages with its feline face made my stomach drop, and a shiver coursed down my spine.
“Oh, my gods,” Jessamine whispered. “I’ve never seen anything so disturbing before.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but then the brush rustled behind the creature, and then I realized there were three of them.
It appeared to be a mother with her cubs, and I knew this could be a dangerous situation. Even the baby animals had small racks of bloody-looking antlers growing from the tops of their heads, and I gagged a little at the sight.
“I think we need to be very quiet,” I muttered to my wives clustered around me. “We don’t want to disturb the mama lynx, or whatever the hell that animal is. Just look down and don’t move.”
We all stood there for a few long moments in silence, and then I heard a rustling in the brush again. So, I clenched the hilt of Genie’s Wrath and looked up, but I was incredibly relieved to see the creepy cat and her babies had disappeared.
“Wow, what the hell is this place?” Cienna asked, and then she shuddered. “I know we’ve seen a lot of strange magic before, but there’s something particularly weird about that.”
“I agree,” I said with a nod. “I’m really glad they ran away, though. I know the path is clear, but maybe we should keep our weapons out, just in case.”
“Good idea, Joe.” Jessamine pulled a scimitar from her belt and twirled it a bit in her hand. “I feel better right now with at least one sword in my hand.”
“If only weapons could protect us from the weather,” Ariana murmured as she shivered and pressed closer to me.
Despite the chill we’d experienced on the ship, I still hadn’t been mentally prepared for these conditions. I felt lucky to be wearing a pair of wool pants and a jacket I’d borrowed from a crew member, but I knew my wives were suffering.
“We’ll find something for you to wear soon,” I promised my wives.
I’d thought of loaning some of my clothes to the princesses while we were on the ship, but everything I owned would have been too big and cumbersome on them, especially in this terrain.
So, we continued to press forward through the narrow spaces between the trees, and the plants appeared stranger and stranger the further we got into the woods. There were some that looked like Venus flytraps with huge, spiky teeth that bit out in our direction as we passed by, and there were also more bushes with flowers in tones of charcoal gray, silver, and black. No matter what kind of plants I was looking at, the colors appeared too dark and somehow wrong, and all of their leaves were covered in the same weird blight.
Suddenly, a bizarre, musical howling surrounded us. The mournful, haunting tune reminded me of a combination between an animal’s cries and a dirge, and I wondered what we were going to see next.
“What is that, Joe?” Ariana gasped, and she clutched my hand.
“No idea, but this is by far the weirdest forest I’ve ever experienced,” I told the mermaid. “I’m sure it’s even odder for you, but I think we’re all a little freaked out at the moment.”
The awful music got louder and louder, and then I suddenly saw its source. A wolf that was either unaware of our presence or, thankfully, ignoring us was sitting on the path about a hundred feet ahead, and it had its head thrown back as it howled its dreadful song. As the creature continued to cry out, a huge chill ran down my spine. Although it was sitting down, it had to be at least six feet tall, and its voice was loud enough to echo throughout the forest. So, as the noise bounced against the trees, I tried to come up with a plan.
“Okay, maybe we should tiptoe away to a different part of the woods,” I suggested quietly. “It doesn’t seem like the wolf noticed us, so maybe we can just avoid it by sneaking around.”
“It’s strange,” Cienna remarked as she put her hands over her ears. “I often have a connection with animals that’s almost… telepathic… but I can’t seem to read these beasts at all. I knew it would be more difficult when we were down in Ariana’s kingdom, but I thought my abilities would be restored once we were back on land.”
“I understand.” Ariana nodded. “The merpeople are used to being able to tame many species of undersea animals, and although it’s not always possible if the creatures are too strong, or possessed, I have always had that connection with Callie.”
“I was able to tame many large beasts in my garden at the palace, too,” Jessamine agreed. “I know it’s common for princesses to be able to do that, so I’m also surprised at how closed-off these animals’ minds seem to be.”
“It did occur to me that I might be able to sing to hypnotize these animals,” Ariana suggested as she looked around at us with wide aqua eyes, “but I’m not sure we should be making any noise at all, since it might not work.”
“I agree with you,” I replied, and I patted my red-haired wife on her shoulder. “I think right now, the quieter we are, the better.”
The wolf’s forlorn song seemed to be getting louder until it was almost unbearable, and we’d all covered our ears at this point. The earplugs I’d used to resist Eudora’s song in our final battle with the sea witch might have helped, but I didn’t want to put myself into a position where anything could sneak up on us.
“Well, the good news is nothing seems to be attacking us yet,” Cienna whispered into my ear. “And these animals aren’t too big for us to fight, if we need to. I don’t want to kill anything we don’t have to, but I’m on guard.”
“Yeah, we can definitely take these down,” I replied, and I flashed my blonde wife a tight-lipped smile. “But like you said, I don’t want to have to kill anything, either. This is one of the strangest places I’ve ever been, for sure.”
It was odd that the giant wolf wasn’t paying any attention to us, but it seemed apparent it was possessed by something. Its silvery fur seemed to glow in an unnaturally bright way and lit up the dim forest around it, and I shuddered again.
I gestured to my wives to follow me, and we slowly headed off in a different direction. I tried to keep my steps as silent as possible, and I could tell the princesses were doing the same. I also kept an eye on the huge, howling animal as we gave it a wide berth, and I winced whenever my feet crunched on top of the many pine needles. The tune that rattled my brain was almost becoming unbearable, and I wished for nothing more than silence again.
